Cosatu said it had lost confidence in Zuma to lead and unite the ANC and the country
President Jacob Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal remains calm after the announcement by the ANC that it has recalled him following a decision by its national executive committee (NEC) on Monday night.
Provincial ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leaders and the party’s suspended provincial executive, who have backed Zuma to the hilt thus far, are quiet in response to the recall, which they have opposed up until now. While several provincially based pro-Zuma lobby groups had been part of the grouping which had marched on ANC headquarters last week and had threatened civil war should Zuma be recalled, they also appear to have been shocked into silence by the announcement by party secretary general Ace Magashule earlier today.
Magashule told a press briefing at Luthuli House that a delegation had been sent to ‘’brief’’ Zuma after the NEC meeting about the ‘’need to shorten the time frames so that this matter is speedily resolved.’’ However Zuma ‘’did not accede to a shorter time frame.’’
Magashule said that Zuma had been recalled in terms of Rule 12.2.21.2 of the ANC Constitution and that the ‘’necessary parliamentary processes’’ would now take place.
Durban residents went about their businesses ahead of and after the announcement, with most being unwilling to comment on the recall. Student Nozipho Mkhize said she was ‘’happy’’ that Zuma had been recalled but said the ANC should have acted earlier.
‘’This man has messed things up for the past 10 years. They should never have let him have a second term. He needs to do what the ANC says and go now,’’ Mkhize said.
Adrian Chetty, another student, said he believed Zuma would agree to resign by Wednesday as ‘’he doesn’t have a choice now.’’
‘’If he doesn’t resign now he will be embarrassed in Parliament,’’ Chetty said. ‘’I don’t think he will go that far.’’
While the South Africa Communist Party had accused Zuma of mobilising people along ethnic lines to try and save himself, it appears that the outgoing president has become increasingly isolated as his power wanes and his attempts to cling to power become more desperate.
Neither ANCYL provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo nor provincial task team coordinator Sihle Zikalala, both fierce defenders of Zuma and backers of the failed campaign to elect Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as ANC president, responded to calls from the Mail & Guardian.